G. David Felt

Kia anounced this week their business plan to become a leading global EV brand. Kia is working to install supporting Fast Charging systems across the world. They have dedicated to install 2,400 chargers in Europe and 500 in North America in their dealer network. They are also working with various EV charging networks and gas stations to install infrastructure to support rapid fast charging. Quote: Kia reveals first stage of future product plans – seven new dedicated BEVs to launch by 2027 across several vehicle segments Brand’s first dedicated BEV, codenamed CV, to launch in 2021 and reveal Kia’s new design direction BEVs to account for 25% of Kia global vehicle sales by 2029 Kia to work with worldwide network to expand EV charging infrastructures Full BEV lineup will establish Kia’s position as a leading EV brand in the market https://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/media/pressreleases/16703/kia-motors-accelerates-business-transformation-to-become-a-leading-ev-brand

Cadillac has their current Franchise agreement expiring in November. GM worked with the Franchise Dealer Council in writing up the new agreement. This new agreement has EV's set out as a sub section of the Cadillac dealership and will require a $200,000 investment in tools for the service center, updated displays, sales training, and charging stations plus more. The dealers will have to follow the franchise agreement to the T if they want to sell the new Cadillac EV line of Auto's. Cadillac has also made it clear that if you want to stay a Cadillac Dealer, you will have to make this investment otherwise GM and the dealership will part ways this November. The $200,000 is a minimum and all the upgrades must be done by the end of the second quarter of 2021. This will support Cadillac as it leads the company in becoming the first division to be pure electric with their first auto's being the Lyriq SUV and the Celestig hand-built flagship sedan. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/cadillac-ev-dealers-investment/ https://www.autonews.com/dealers/cadillac-requiring-dealers-make-200000-upgrades-evs?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Labor Party in the UK wants to change the ban on new ICE auto sales from the current 2025 to 2030. This will require that the Labor party get the conservative party to join in making this change which would also help the UK meet their Paris accord for reduction in air pollution. Originally the Conservative party had passed banning ICE auto's starting in 2040, but due to changes in ICE production in the country, companies like Honda moving production to the US as well as other auto company changes, the Conservatives changed this to 2035 to match when certain auto companies will leave the UK. A growing base of Businesses and city councils are calling for a more ambitious phase-out policy of stopping all Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid and Van sales within the UK. The UK has avoided brown out this crazy year with work from home and pandemic lock downs due to the Tesla battery stations they have been installing across the country. Microsoft has moved their data center to below the ocean to reduce power needs for cooling, etc. The move to natural sounds, cleaner air and a better over all life style seems to be driving this change in the UK. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? https://electrek.co/2020/09/18/egeb-uk-ice-cars-2030-microsoft-data-center/#more-147706

Lucid Air has beat Tesla Plaid record set last year at Laguna Seca race track. Tesla using their yet to be released Plaid power train set a Laguna record of 1:36.55 Lucid set the new course record at Laguna in 1:33.00 I wonder if GM will go after this record with their Ultium Power Train family? https://electrek.co/2020/09/18/lucid-beats-tesla-model-s-plaid-prototype-on-racetrack-with-its-own-tri-motor-air-test-vehicle/

Have to say that the green car report web site brings up an interesting and solid discussion on the new Ultium Drive family. IS THIS THE SMALL-BLOCK V8 of the EV Generation? GM's Ultium Family announcement drives a package of electronics, motor and transmission to an all in one encompassing power train. With horsepower ranging from 235 HP to 1000 HP and battery packs up to 600 miles of range one cannot but help make these comparisons. GM Launched what has become the most popular, reliable small-block V8 engine with Tubo-Hydramatic transmissions the world has seen which have been sourced according to the story below to Rolls=Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, etc. GM Small-Block motors have been used around the world. Honda has now signed on to use the Ultium family of motors and their next generation of EV platform for Honda auto's that will be sold globally in Europe and North America. This will help to quickly drive down costs of the power train and battery. Nikola has signed on to use the Ultium family and Platform plus use a Hydrogen generator to give their pickup truck crazy long range. One does have to wonder with 100 million plus small black V8's built to date. Could the Ultium family be the next centennial power train line? https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129625_will-gm-s-ultium-drive-be-the-small-block-v-8-for-a-generation-of-evs

Expect this to be the last Hurrah as we move to EV's and all digital screen dashes. Cadillac 2021 dash

I could be happy with this truck if there was no EV trucks coming.

True, if you can live some place less expensive and still keep your income. Then that also is a bonus. I do hear many companies that have allowed people to change to work from home and they moved also ended up getting their income reduced due to the lower cost of living. Sucks, but that has become a very common comment on the glassdoor web site that tracks jobs / income.

At the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the All New Ford F-150 EV, Ford released the first of the official images of the new electric F-150. Also additional video of their electric truck doing trailer loaded testing. They also released a image of the new expansion at the Rouge plant. As stated by the press, end to end lighting is the theme for EV trucks / SUVs it seems as the Hummer also will have this as does the Rivian auto's. https://electrek.co/2020/09/17/ford-f150-electric-pickup-testing-footage-impressive-performance/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/the-electric-ford-f-150-will-be-the-fastest-most-powerful-f-150-ever/ar-BB198YXb?ocid=uxbndlbing https://www.foxnews.com/auto/heres-what-the-electric-ford-f-150-looks-like

I agree that the compliance EVs are NOT a daily use for anything auto, but as called a Compliance auto for select states and where one has to plan on charging. The charging infrastructure continues to get better daily and will continue to do so faster in those states embracing it compared to those resisting change. I honestly think 2021 will be the start of major change with a large up tick in EV's as we see multiple options in much larger sized EVs with long range battery packs and the start of solid state batteries showing up also in EVs. Also as you posted and I posted with the videos from GMs news release earlier in this thread, the Ultium Drive power train family is very solid tech and as the video shows, you can see how they have solutions for FWD, RWD, and AWD. I see a much larger simplification of maintenance with this new power train family. Biggest question is do they properly market them to sell and train their dealerships as the slow adoption of the Volt / Bolt has been the lack of training and marketing. Interesting times we live in.

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I also think one needs to take in regional income as that plays a big part in how one spends money. Income for the region including job type. An example is for Washington state, Average income here is $88,005 a year. You can see a state by state break down of income, job types, etc. I know many coworkers that plan on hitting their bonus pay and based on bonus pay will then buy the auto they want using the bonus pay as a very large down payment. Thus then financing for say 74 months to have a low monthly payment, but make larger payments to quickly pay it off but if something changes, they still have a low monthly payment. Then I have coworkers who only see an auto as an appliance and want it as cheap as possible. Agree with @balthazar that regardless of being an Enthusiast or appliance buyer, I do not think there is a hard answer to this either. https://www.averagesalarysurvey.com/united-states

I honestly think your truck looks way better than the current Chevrolet design. Go GMC is how I would direct people right now, way better looking truck. Over all, Love your Avalanche!

I like the Trail Boss package, but wish it has the monochromatic look of the RST. My biggest pet peeve is the drab interiors of Chevrolet. Jet Black or this blah multi grey interior just sucks IMHO. Why not a tan or a lovely mocha brown interior. Options GM, Need BETTER OPTIONS for interior colors. Saw this video, truly a young bear, looking for food and water. This happens yearly here in the greater Seattle suburbs. Gates are required, but seems even a 6 foot gate does not keep the bears out. Very scary for sure for the humans who under estimate the bears. That is a sharp looking truck, way nicer looking IMHO than the Chevy.

Get one of those Pandemic business loans that they will forgive and use it to get you a new truck to keep working. Here is what I found about the price cuts for diesel. https://www.autoblog.com/2020/09/08/chevy-silverado-gmc-sierra-diesel-price-cut/

I see nothing wrong with being a grease monkey even one that stays very clean in a high end shop. Growing up with my father having a auto repair business, I see nothing wrong with being a grease monkey since we use various types of grease in auto maintenance and repair. Just my thoughts on it. Suo chef

That is awesome Drew. Way to go, wishing you all the best for even more in the future as you become permanent.!

I was also surprised by that info, not sure why the maintenance is still so high. Be interesting to learn what they have on the truck that is requiring so much maintenance.

@67impss @ocnblu Come on guys, not being mean here, just honest that Mechanics get greasy no matter how hard one tries to be clean. Prep-Cook

FORD Expanding Michigan Factory for Electric F-150 production. $700 million expansion at Rouge plant comes with 300 additional jobs. This is good news, sadly they have stated mid 2022 when the Electric F-150 will start rolling off the assembly line going to dealerships. Ford has stated that the Electric F-150 will be faster, stronger and higher pulling capability than and ICE F-150. Ford also has stated that the Electric F-150 will have 40% less maintenance than a comparable ICE unit. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-to-expand-michigan-factory-for-electric-f-150-11600345800

Unless there are certain features that are only available on the upper tier. Sadly, GM has not figured out how to make an auto profitable in an Ala-Cart mode of building.

That is the best looking version of that truck, still take the GMC over Chevrolet.

Ribs ??? Pork ???

Being that I buy many auto's for my extended family, one thing I have always felt strongly about is setting the ground rules with the sales person. When I go on a lot, greeted by the sales person, I stop and set the rules of how, what and why I am there. If just window shopping, I let them know to not waste their time. If shopping seriously, I usually have a set idea of what I want to look at and specifics I am interested in such as their best interest rates they have compared to my own bank or the bank that my family member is able to use. I always am very clear on what I am looking at and want to see and that I am not there to look at other options as they will be working with me as the representative for said family member. I will be honest that in how I approach auto buying has shocked and thrown off the sales person. I have had more than one walk away crying as I did not play their game for monthly auto payment, sales process that they were trained on. Experienced quality sales people know to roll with the flow and can get a sale when I am there to do a serious look and possible buy. I always sit down and in a sense qualify my own family member on what they are looking for, wanting and minimum to maximum dollar range. Making them write up a list of what they want helps to narrow down the auto they should look at. Not gonna waste my time, theirs or the sales person. So far seems to make a solid auto buying experience. Hope this helps on how I do it for the future.